


We're Not Too Far Gone

by patientxxzero



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Character Deaths, Daryl doesn't know what he wants, Drama, F/M, M/M, Rick and Daryl bromance, hints of rape/noncon won't be graphic, the Governor does, typical walking dead gore
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-04
Updated: 2015-07-12
Packaged: 2018-04-07 16:06:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4269576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/patientxxzero/pseuds/patientxxzero
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Rick offers to share the prison with the Governor he agrees. Not because he wants to, but because he has to. Naturally this causes a lot of strife with the prison, there are people who cannot forget, who cannot forgive. Much to his surprise, the Governor finds that of the group, Daryl is eventually the one who defends him being there. Things start to seem like they could work, but tragedy is never far off and when the Governor teeters to the edge whatever friendships he's forged might not be enough to keep another incident like Woodbury far off.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. We Can Change

Rick hated what he proposed, knowing deep inside that it probably wasn’t going to work and would only serve to complicate things beyond control if it did. Still, his words hung in the air between them, he alone in front of the gate…the Governor and his people on the other side with Hershel and Michonne on their knees, Michonne’s sword held at Hershel’s neck. They could live together, couldn’t they? If they had to? They could change. But the Governor’s expression was just as hard to read as it ever was and though his hand slackened on the sword, Rick felt like he couldn’t breathe and he hoped that he could draw some strength on the approving smile touching Hershel’s lips. 

“Brian!” 

Rick didn’t recognize the voice or the name, but the Governor responded, taking his hard gaze from Rick and glancing to the source. A young woman was approaching with a girl wrapped in her arms. Rick felt his brow furrow as that mask of indifference on his enemy’s face warped, showed actual concern. The woman seemed blind to the situation around her, to the people armed for battle, to the tank ready to blow everything all to hell. She was focused solely on the Governor and the child in her arms. 

“She bit?” the Governor asked and Rick can barely hear it, but it’s there, that subtle hint of desperation and fear.

“No, no she’s all right, just scared. We couldn’t stay back there, they were coming,” the woman said. She blinked and looked around finally, eyes going to the people looking at her, to the tank and finally to the prisoners. She set the girl down but Rick didn’t get a look at her face, she was clinging to the woman. “Brian what the hell is going on here?”

“I said might,” the Governor replied. 

“It doesn’t have to even come to that,” Rick said, seizing his chance. This woman might be the only person who could stop the inevitable bloodshed. “You can all live with us, please, we’ll make it work. We’ve cleared out the cell blocks, place is big enough we’d never have to see each other.”

They said nothing, they just looked at each other and Rick felt pain in his chest as he watched their silent communication. It reminded him of Lori, Lori who could tell him with one glance what she thought of the plan. He couldn’t believe it when the Governor lowered the sword, believed it less when the woman held her hand out for the weapon and he handed it over. The violence that ran rampant in him previously seemed gone as he hunkered down and placed a hand on the girl’s shoulder. “Meghan, you all right, pumpkin?”  
The girl, Meghan, turned to him and buried her face in his chest and he picked her up and when he looked at Rick again, the murder was gone from his eye. “We’ll live here,” he said. The guy in the tank pursed his lips but the Governor shook his head. “I don’t want to hurt anyone, but you’re going to guarantee our safety Mr. Grimes, I’ve a few enemies in that prison.”

Rick felt a great burden lifting from his shoulders. This wouldn’t be easy, this was going to be the hardest thing his group went through, but they’d live. That’s what mattered. No more graves to dig. He nodded and looked to Michonne and she nodded. “Nothing to worry from me,” she said quietly and Rick believed her. He’d have to talk to Glenn, Maggie and Daryl though. 

“Come on,” Rick said. “It’s not safe outside.”

He kept expecting a shot to be fired, for something but as he moved to open the gate he saw Hershel and Michonne stand up, saw the Governor cut their bonds and instruct his people to get in their vehicles to drive through the gates. Rick watched with a sense that he entered a dream as those cars and the tank came through. When Hershel and Michonne came through they paused, helping him close the gates behind them. Michonne walked by him but he didn’t expect her to be pleased with this, he’d give her time. Hershel, however, stopped to clap a hand on his shoulder.

“You did the right thing, Rick,” he said softly. “No matter what anyone says, you remember that. You showed mercy, even if he doesn’t remember it, his people will.”

“I got to talk to them,” Rick said, indicating their family waiting at the prison. They were armed; Rick had to plead inwardly for them not to start the war. 

“I’ll go with you,” Hershel said. “When you do it.”

Rick nodded and he led the others up the road to the prison proper. He instructed them where to park, waited for them to gather around him and always kept the Governor in his sights. Now was the hard part. If he could just send them to another block and be done with it he would, but they had to know, they had that right. As soon as Carl opened the secondary gate for them Maggie was there, rifle trained at the Governor’s head. Rick held up a hand, not quite ready to step in front of the Governor. He wasn’t going to risk his life for the other.

“Maggie, put down the gun,” he ordered. Maggie’s eyes were filling with angry tears. “Maggie!”

“What the hell is this, Rick?” Glenn asked. “What’s he doing here?!”

“Calm down, all of you,” Hershel chimed in, his voice ever calm. “Now, we could have just lost a lot of people on both sides here for the sake of a battle. Rick proposed we share the prison, there’s plenty of room, we don’t have to interact unless we choose to do so.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Maggie demanded.

“I know it won’t be easy,” Rick said. “I know that. But we can make this work. We can! The alternative is no one has the prison and most of us are dead.”  
He looked to some of the others, some of the former Woodbury people and they were looking at the others suspiciously. He gaze met Daryl and he asked him silently for aid. He knew he was a bastard for doing it, Merle was killed by the Governor after all, but he needed more support. Daryl looked pissed but he composed himself and slung his crossbow back over his shoulder.

“Rick’s right,” he said in that soft drawl. “Ain’t no use shooting the shit out of each other. Killing him won’t bring back the others.”

Maggie lowered the gun but Rick could read her expression well enough to know that this wasn’t the end. She stormed off and Glenn followed her and Rick could only leave it to fate whether he lost their trust entirely or not. “How’s about everyone get back to it, I’ll make sure our guests know where they’ll be staying.”  
The thing that hurt the most was Carl looking at him with disappointment before Michonne led him away. Soon it was just him, Hershel and Daryl remaining but Rick knew they were safe, knew his people were keeping a sharp eye and ready to shoot if there was any treachery. “We’ll bring you to the other side of the prison, you can come over here to move your vehicles later if you want but other than that I’m going to have to ask you stay on your side.”

“How do I know your people aren’t going to just kill me during the night?” the Governor asked, his gaze landing on Daryl. 

“Won’t be stabbing you in the back,” Daryl said. “If I kill you, I’ll kill you face to face.”

“Daryl,” Rick warned, nodding subtly towards the girl, Meghan, who was clinging to the Governor’s hand and looking terrified. 

“Let’s get this done,” Daryl growled and stalked off, leading the way.


	2. Don't Call Me That

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first step was getting through the gate, the second was determining whether everyone was going to start killing everyone else anyway.

That night Daryl dreamed of his brother for the first time in about a month. Merle looking at him with those bright, dead eyes and blood coating his mouth. One of his arms was bent unnaturally but he’s got that grin on his face, full of cynicism and absent of genuine mirth. “Hey baby brother, you really gonna sleep under the same roof as the bastard who killed me?”

In his dream he seemed mute, just staring at Merle. His older brother frowned, blood spilling out of the bullet wound in his chest. He ran his fingers through it before sucking the digits clean. “Yeah, it’s not bad, not bad at all. He’ll do the same to you little brother, and to Rick and to all your little friends and you’ll end up like me. But it ain’t bad, don’t have to worry bout much when you’re dead.”

Daryl’s eyes snapped open, his chest heaving as he stared up at the dark ceiling. The prison was quiet and he was thankful not to wake up to the sound of the Governor’s people starting a fire fight. He got out of the small rack and left the room, not a cell any more, but his room and paced about the dark prison halls until he made his way outside.   
He wasn’t paying much attention to where he was going, but he stayed alert for any threats. He was glad he did because he heard voices coming from where they stored the water. Daryl lowered his crossbow, drawing it back and fitting an arrow into place. Weapon loaded he brought it up and crept forward silently. There were two people sitting by the water jugs and coming closer he saw it was the Governor and the kid he somehow managed to convince was safe with him. Daryl could let the arrow fly, he could kill him right here and now and no one would have to worry about a sudden coup d’etat from his people. But the girl was there and he couldn’t hurt her, she was innocent. In this light she looked like…No, he wasn’t going to go there.

Cursing the Governor because he was sure the girl was his shield, he lowered his crossbow and moved into their line of sight. The girl gasped and damn near jumped off the makeshift bench to hide behind the Governor. 

“Thought we made it clear you weren’ supposed to be on this side,” Daryl said.

“I know, but we don’t have anything set up yet and Meghan was thirsty. Our water is still in the trailers, we’ll get them tomorrow,” the Governor replied.

“Could have fucking asked beforehand instead of creeping around the dark there, Governor.”

His remaining eye narrowed and his face set, becoming hard. “Don’t call me that,” he said. “And watch your language around her.”

“Like that’s the thing she should be worried about. You got your damn water so get the hell out of here.”

“D-don’t yell at him!” Meghan squeaked. She was peeking around the Governor now, her hands clasped on his arm and glaring at Daryl. “Brian is a good guy! He just wanted to help me! You don’t have to be…to be so mean!”

The Governor had the gall to laugh softly. He turned his attention to the girl. “It’s all right, Meghan. You see…Daryl and I we have a complicated history and he has a reason to be angry with me.”

He wanted to blurt out the truth, that the Governor slaughtered his brother and his friend, slaughtered his own people when they tried to run, killed so many but he couldn’t because Meghan looked at him with a certain adoration and he knew, just fucking knew that she would never be the same without him. Whatever shit had gone down in the past, Daryl had a feeling it was absent from the Governor when he met Meghan and her mom. Maybe he repented, maybe he felt bad but it still didn’t bring Merle back and sure as hell didn’t mean he was going to forgive him.

But why hurt a little girl?

“You shouldn’t fight, not anymore,” Meghan said quietly, seeking refuge behind the bastard again. “Not anymore. Mommy says we should all just try and get along because of…well, because of how things are now.”

“Your mommy has a good point,” the Governor said but Daryl wasn’t buying his bull shit. It was easy to act innocent when in the presence of someone who idolized you. “Come on, Meghan, let’s head back it’s late.”

He stood and took her hand. “We won’t be back over here, like I said, just getting her some water.”

“Whatever.”

***

The next day when the Governor, Mitch and several other of their people went to fetch the RVs they’d been calling home, Rick called together his people for a discussion. Everyone looked nervous and some looked downright furious but it was only Hershel who looked at him with steady dedication to their new arrangement. 

“We’ll get used to this,” Rick said.

“You forget what he did to me?” Maggie asked. “What he had Merle do to Glenn? What he did to Andrea? Our family…Rick, he’s hurt our family and now we’re supposed to just sit here knowing he’s only on the other side of the prison?”

“I agree with Maggie, this place isn’t going to feel safe with him around,” Glenn replied.

“He’s changed,” Hershel argued. “When he had Michonne and I at his camp, he seemed different. I think he truly understands the magnitude of what he did while leading Woodbury. He understood that his daughter was dead, that Michonne did the right thing by her, and that he made mistakes.”

“Sure, everyone makes mistakes,” Sasha said. “But we can’t just write it off so easily, not with the ‘mistakes’ he made.”

“The people with him don’t seem too bad,” Tyreese replied. “Most of them are young, scared…I think they were just following him in the hopes of finding a safe place. If we get rid of the Governor, chances are they side with us so they don’t have to leave this place.”

“Or they lash out and we’re back to spilling blood…filling that field with more graves,” Rick argued. 

“He’s trying to protect his family,” Hershel added. “He realizes what he had with Penny wasn’t real at the end but I think he’s really trying with Lilly and Meghan.”

“We should just get rid of them,” Carl said softly. 

“All of them?” Beth asked, glancing up from Judith with a frown. “Tyreese is right; most of them are just following him because they don’t have anyone else.”  
“I’m telling you, we won’t have to interact with them, we aren’t losing any space, he’s just one man and once his people are settled here they aren’t going to want a war and neither will he,” Rick replied. He glanced at Hershel and smiled. “We’re not too far gone; we can still make this work.”

“I can’t stay here with him,” Maggie said. “I won’t.”

“Maggie please,” Hershel sighed.

“Daddy you can’t ask me to!” 

“He won’t hurt you; I’ll make sure of that.”

Maggie glared at him, glared at all of them but she nodded at least and Rick counted that a good sign. Still, he’d have to keep an eye on her. Glenn he trusted not to do anything but Maggie was full of passion and he knew it might take her some time to calm down. “So we’re clear, you don’t go near them…if they come near you, you tell me and I’ll settle it. I promise you if they become a threat, I will take care of it.”

They disbanded soon afterwards and Rick realized that Daryl was hanging back. “What’s going on, Daryl?”

“Last night it was water,” Daryl said. “What do you think it’s going to be next time? His excuse to get over here?”

Rick furrowed his brow. “You saw him over here last night?”

Daryl’s smile was more a scowl. “Yeah, brought Meghan along with him, said she was thirsty. I’m thinking he was just scoutin’ the place.”

“Daryl…I know it’s hard for you to trust that this will all work out…”

“He killed Merle, Rick! Andrea! And you ask me to back you in this decision and I’m tryin’ fucking hard to do that, man, but it’s damn hard to see how this is gonna work. Ain’t gonna be no Kumbaya shit here. They ain’t ever gonna join our group, we’re always going to be waitin’ for them to strike!”  
Rick shook his head. “No, I won’t let it get to that,” he said. He rested a hand on Daryl’s shoulder. “I promise, I won’t. I wouldn’t sacrifice all we’ve worked on for that. You just need to give it a chance, Daryl.”

“Fuck,” Daryl growled. “I’m not gonna say ‘no,’ I don’t think it will but I won’t get in your way.”

***

Philip Blake would have taken the prison within the first week; Brian Heriot didn’t even make plans to. Mitch approached him a few times with sure fire ways to get rid of the competition but Brian just didn’t want to hear it. Mitch would always walk away with that sullen anger and he’d always hear him punch the wall as he made his way down the hall but Brian didn’t care. Mitch was one man, the rest were settling in well enough. 

They had enough space for everyone, they had some land…perhaps not as good as Rick’s plot, but it was better than nothing. In the weeks that passed they got established there and, to his surprise, had no violent encounters with their reluctant neighbors. As time passed, his short stint back as the man he used to be, back as the Governor, seemed more a dream than reality. He didn’t want that life anymore and only slipped into the persona to keep Lilly, Meghan, and Tara safe. They were the only thing that was important now.  
He was laying on his bed, watching Lilly tidying up the room and seeing Meghan and Tara running past the door as they played an endless game of tag. Brian could feel the smile on his face as he watched them; his family. That peace was disturbed by Mitch, of course, hurrying to his room. “That prick is coming over here,” Mitch growled.  
Lilly stopped folding clothes and looked to him in question and he hated the fear that was in her eyes. He would protect her and he would warn whoever came over here that they had a deal, he wouldn’t stand for it being broken. He shrugged into his coat and followed Mitch outside. Rick and Hershel were standing outside the gate, carrying something. Brian narrowed his eye as he strode towards them, his usually easy pace replaced by the man he used to be. “What are you doing over here?” he demanded. 

“Easy, Brian, we’re just here to offer you this,” Hershel said. He reached into the crate that Rick held in his arms and lifted out a piglet which squealed indignantly. “Just had the litter, there’s too many for us, figured it’d be good to give them to you rather than cut ‘em loose.”

Brian and Mitch exchanged a look. Was this…real? He glanced at them again, looking for weapons strapped to their waists, waiting for their reinforcements to come pouring out and start firing…nothing. 

Brian nodded to Mitch who went to open the gate and he beckoned the visitors inside. Rick offered him the crate and he took it. They stared at each other for a moment and for once he didn’t see the savage beast that was the harbinger of the end of his sanctuary. He just saw a farmer. “Much obliged,” he said simply. “You growing any herbs?”

“No, haven’t had a chance,” Rick replied.

“Got some basil and rosemary…” Brian saw that Lilly, Tara and Meghan had been drawn out. “Lilly? Would you gather some herbs for them?”  
Lilly was gorgeous when she smiled and these days she smiled more. She nodded and took off. Brian saw that Meghan was eyeing the crate and he set it down. She came over and peered over the lip and cried out in joy. “Oh Brian! They’re soooo cute! Aww look it this one, she likes me!!” She patted the piglet in question on the snout. “Can I name her?”

Rick laughed. “Just like Carl in that regard.”

“Let’s call her Bacon,” Tara said. 

Lilly returned with two mason jars with different herbs and she handed them to Rick. “Thanks,” she said. “Not just…for the pigs, just thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Rick said. He glanced at Brian. “It’s been a few weeks and there’s been no incidents, I want to thank you and your people for following the agreement. Have you had any problems with ours?”

“No.”

“All right. Not sure any one is ready to reassess things yet, not sure I am, but you never know how life is going to work out. Anyway, you enjoy…thanks for the herbs.”

Brian watched Rick and Hershel go and not once did he feel any intent to hurt them. He was just enveloped by Meghan’s laugh as the piglets snuffled at her arm, as Tara made pig noises that only made the girl laugh harder. He felt Lilly’s warmth as she wrapped her arms around him and rested her head against his back.


	3. The Run

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone is feeding the walkers and if it keeps up they're going to over run the prison. Meanwhile, after putting runs on hold for fear the Governor would attack while they were gone, Daryl, Tyreese and Bob decide to go ahead and do it as there hadn't been any incidents in near two months. But runs are never easy, they're never quiet and they are less quiet when they happen across the same store the Governor, Tara and Mitch are searching.

Time worked differently now, it was more translucent but Rick estimated that roughly two months had come and gone from the day at the gate. There had been no serious offenses, a few arguments here and there about the safety of their group but the Governor and his people kept their word. Sometimes Rick would see Glenn keeping an eye on them from the watch tower but they never gave him cause to chase them away. Apart from giving them the piglets, Rick had no more interaction with them but he never pressed the issue. He was more comfortable leaving things are they were now, staying with his people and growing his crop.   
His concern shifted from people to walkers in those two months. They were still swarming the fences and Rick worried how much the fences could take before they toppled over. 

He glanced at them now and saw Michonne, Sasha, Bob and Maggie there now, armed with poles and stakes and dispatching the walkers. Rick frowned as he watched, as skulls caved in and thick blood fell in globs to the ground below. It had to be done, Rick wasn’t naïve enough to think that they would kill every single walker in the surrounding area but it would be nice if they could catch some sort of break from the snarling and the growling.

He turned his attention back to his work, inspecting some of the crops to check their health. If this kept up it was going to be a good harvest.   
He heard footsteps approaching by the time he was halfway through his task and glanced back at the source; Michonne. She was carrying a bottle of water and she smiled as she handed it to him. Rick accepted it with a quick thanks. She was so different than when they first met and he did what he could to make her smile. Her smile transformed her entirely. 

“Where’s Carl?” 

“Sleeping in. Someone brought him a stack of comics that kept him up most of the night.”

Michonne adopted an innocent look and shrugged, evading the topic. “It’s good though, he should be doing things like that.”

Normal things in other words. Rick smiled and shook his head. “I’m not mad; I can tend to the field myself.”

“Looks like we won’t have to worry much about food when it’s time to harvest this,” Michonne said. “Rick the farmer, I’ll be honest I didn’t think you’d do it when we first got here. Thought you were in too deep.”

Rick nodded thoughtfully. “Me too, but Hershel was right.”

“You need any help here?”

“Sure.”

***

Daryl slipped the newly sharpened knife in its sheath before he grabbed the empty bags and tossed them into the truck. Tyreese was with him, preparing his gear and Bob approached soon after that. They needed to do a run, they’d been putting them off for the most part, worried that their neighbors might get ideas if they had less numbers, but so far no hostility had been noted from the other group and they couldn’t delay going any longer. 

“We’re looking for the usual,” Daryl said as they got into the truck and he started up the engine. 

The gate was opened and they pulled away from the prison, heading down familiar roads. All was still once they left the perimeter; the road was covered with fallen leaves and blood. It was normal now and though there were always signs of the macabre there was a certain beauty in the stillness. He drove them passed the Big Spot, figuring there was no point with the roof caved in and the place filled with walkers. He noticed Bob looking at the dilapidated store with some sadness and he sighed inwardly. As far as he could tell the guy hadn’t been giving into his alcoholism but he kept on with that guilt Daryl was sure he was going to drown it.

But they kept going and going until they ran into another supermarket. The sign was cracked and letters had fallen, leaving just Kro written over the entrance. He didn’t see any walkers in the parking lot but he made sure to get as close to the door as possible anyway.

“Hold up, isn’t that one of their cars?” Tyreese asked as they stepped outside. He lifted his rifle to point at a truck. “Think we should go somewhere else? I don’t like the idea of running into them outside the prison.”

Daryl calculated the decision. He didn’t want to be in there with them either, but he didn’t dare go too far. Going too far is what got people killed. “Keep your weapons ready, we’re going through here.”

 

***

 

“Dad?”

Rick looked up at his son’s voice and smiled. “Hey Carl, finally decided to get up, huh?”

“I’ve been up for a while now,” Carl replied and Rick’s smile nearly faltered. Carl had been in far better spirits than before, but he still didn’t show as much humor as he used to. Rick missed that about him but at least he looked less like he was expecting to be attacked at any minute. He held out a box for him to inspect and Rick frowned at its contents. Rodents, or what was left of them anyway, every rodent was missing the front half.

“What is this, Carl?” he asked.

“Someone’s been feeding the walkers,” Carl replied. “That’s why they’re gathering in groups instead of spreading out. They’re waiting for whoever is feeding them.”  
Rick felt tension in his shoulders and neck at the news. He could tell by Carl’s face he was thinking the same thing. Maybe the others hadn’t been so quiet as he originally thought. By why this? Didn’t they realize if the walkers brought down the fence they would breach the other side? 

“We should kick them out,” Carl urged.

“We’ll ask them about it.”

“What’s the point? They would just deny it!”

“Think about it, Carl, those people they want to live here too. If they try and overrun us with walkers they’ll be doing the same to themselves. I don’t think it’s impossible that it was them, but we should keep other options open too.”

Carl all but dropped the box in his frustration and he got that stubborn look on his face that was all Lori but he didn’t say anything, he just left Rick standing there with a box of dead rats at his feet. He sighed and hunkered down, inspecting the rodents again. He considered everyone in his group to see if the behavior may have fit one of them but it didn’t. Not a single one. But this had happened before; he just didn’t have a chance to look into it after the disaster with Carol. And thinking of Carol made it click. Her last request…look after Micah and Lizzie. Didn’t Carl mention something about the other kids looking at walkers as some sort of strange pet? It made more sense than the Governor and his people sneaking over to feed walkers in the middle of the night.

He set off to find Hershel and Michonne, deciding it might be best to have others with him to coax the truth out of the kids. 

 

***

 

“Oh what the fuck? You follow us here or something?” Mitch demanded.

“Keep your voice down,” Tara hissed.

“We didn’t follow you, this is the closest place to the prison,” Bob said, still smiling, always charming. 

“It’s fine,” Brian muttered. “We’re almost done here anyway.”

Daryl kept his eye on Mitch, watched as his hand twitched and his body tensed. He wanted a fight, but without his friends backing him he wasn’t keen to start one. He let out another curse and went back to looking for supplies. Situation under control for now, Brian’s group followed after Mitch and Daryl led Tyreese and Bob to the other end of the store. It was rank; the rotting scent of fruit permeated the place, sickly sweet. Daryl pulled his scarf up over his mouth and nose to try and mitigate it. Feeling a little bit better, he began to gather what canned foods were left while Tyreese and Bob spread out.

He saw a small bag hidden at the back of the shelf and he reached for it with a grin. “Hell yeah,” he said quietly. Beef jerky, score. He stuffed it in his pack and continued on. 

He should have realized that these runs were anything but quiet and it wasn’t long until he heard the growling and shuffling that indicated a walker. He grabbed his knife and crept towards it, some lady with a blue apron on, hair thin and dirty and face partially caved in. Her eyes were bulging and her jaw worked furiously as she detected him, turning to face him and limping his direction. Daryl waited, poised for an attack when a gun shot rang throughout the building.

“I said don’t shoot!”

Daryl felt his jaw clench when he saw Tara still holding the gun out, her hands shaking as Mitch bore down on her. “The fuck you do that for?” he seethed. “You want a pack on us?”

Too late for that. Daryl could hear movement now, far too much movement for the amount of people here. “We got to get the hell out of here,” he said, beckoning to Tyreese who appeared from the snack aisle. He nodded and joined up with him and together they went to find Bob. It wasn’t hard; Daryl made a bee-line for the wine and beer aisle and found him perusing the various bottles. He looked abashed at being discovered but the lecture could wait.

He was leading them out but he lost sight of the others. Wasn’t his problem though, the Governor was going to have to take care of them. He heard a walker snarling in the next aisle over and he picked up the pace. They were coming from the back, from the freezers and the loading docks. They were coming from places they had yet to look, swarming and closing in like a hive. “Shit,” he growled, seeing a large group by the door. 

“Daryl over here.”

He blinked and noticed the Governor…Brian, whoever the fuck, beckoning him and his companions closer. Well, sure as hell wasn’t a way to get out the front. “There’s an employee’s only entrance over this way,” Brian said and took off, following Mitch and Tara.

The six of them rounded a corner and Tara screamed when a walker grabbed her from behind. She fired her gun everywhere, barely aiming as panic took her as those teeth gnashed at her throat. Flailing wildly, she elbowed it in the chest the same time she pulled the trigger again and Daryl felt a searing pain in his thigh and he collapsed to the floor.

“Fucking shit!”

Mitch attacked the walker, disengaging it from Tara who paled when she saw Daryl on the floor with blood seeping out of his leg. 

“There’s more coming!” Bob shouted.

They were closing in from three sides and Daryl was going to slow them down, was going to get them killed. “Fucking tired of chicks shooting me,” he growled. He picked himself off the floor laboriously. The wound was bleeding swiftly and he was worried she managed to hit the artery. “Fuck, just go, I’ll slow them down and catch up.”

“We can’t just leave you here, man!” Tyreese shouted, shoving the crowbar he carried into the empty eye socket of a walker that got to close. It fell to the floor with a horrid squelch.

“Just go!”

Mitch and Tara didn’t need to be told twice, they were taking off but Bob and Tyreese wouldn’t leave. “Fuck you both,” Daryl sighed, slinging his crossbow from his shoulder and firing at a walker that was reaching for Bob.

“This is foolish, you can’t win this,” Brian said. 

“The fuck you still doing here?” Daryl demanded.

“Denying you the chance to be a martyr,” Brian replied. He reached for Daryl and before he could swing the bow around to shoot the bastard he was being slung over a broad shoulder. “Let’s go,” he ordered.

 

***

 

Rick, Michonne and Hershel sat in stunned silence as Lizzie continued to smile up at them with all the innocence in the world. She didn’t know that she was wrong. She didn’t understand. Micah was looking at her sister with a mixture of sadness and embarrassment. Rick cleared his throat. “So, you have been feeding them…since you got here?”

“Yeah, I figure they get hungry too and we have all this food but I know people would get mad if I took that, but none of us were eating the rats,” Lizzie said.

“Listen to me, honey,” Hershel said. “I know you’re doing it out of the good of your heart, but you have to understand that you can’t keep doing this.”

“Why not?” Lizzie asked, her brow furrowing. She reached for Micah’s hand and her sister grabbed it instantly.

“Rats make them gassy,” Michonne said.

Rick and Hershel glanced at her, Rick trying to ask a million questions in that one look, but she wasn’t breaking her gaze from the girls. She smiled that beautiful smile and shook her head. “You know? It makes their stomachs get upset and then it’s a bad day for everybody.”

Micah giggled but Lizzie looked unconvinced. “What am I supposed to feed them, then?” she asked.

“Nothing,” Michonne replied. “Any food you give them makes them ache. They’re different from us. Don’t need food the way we do.”

“Oh, so I’ve been hurting them?”

“Wouldn’t say hurting them, sweetie, but you should stop before it does have any lasting effects.”

“Thanks, Michonne, I had no idea! Can we go play now?” Lizzie asked.

“Yeah, get out of here.”

There was a moment of silence before Rick laughed. “You sure know how to handle kids, Michonne, you’d make a great mother.”

Michonne’s smile faded and she shook her head. “Don’t know about all that,” she replied and she sounded a bit irritated. Rick decided that subject was off limits unless she brought it up. “We still need to keep an eye on the fences, I have a feeling she’s not entirely done with the walkers. I’m worried, she has no idea how dangerous they are.”

“That’s very true,” Rick replied. “We need to do something about it.”

“Did Carol know?” Hershel asked. “Lizzie and Micah trusted her; she may be the only one who can handle Lizzie.”

Rick’s hands clenched into fists. “She’s gone, Hershel, I can’t have her here and I won’t spare people to go looking.”

“Then you need to find a way to reach her, or find someone who can, before she does something that jeopardizes everything,” Hershel replied. “Her mind is warped, I can’t imagine what would happen if she was the result of anyone getting hurt.”

Rick nodded stiffly and Hershel left them. He sighed and looked down at the floor, leaning against the edge of the table. He felt Michonne’s hand on his shoulder. “It’ll be all right, Rick, we’ll figure out how to handle her.”

 

***

 

“They’re fucking everywhere,” Mitch hissed.

They were hiding behind a couple dumpsters; Tyreese and Mitch were keeping watch while Bob scrambled with scarce supplies to create a make-shift bandage for Daryl’s leg. “It didn’t hit,” he said quietly as he inspected the wound. “Almost, but it didn’t, you’ll be all right if we make it back.”

“Looking like a big fucking if there, Bob,” Daryl said with a humorless smirk. 

Bob shrugged and tied off the bandage. First aid taken care of, Daryl shifted so he could see beyond the dumpster. What had been an empty parking lot an hour ago was now crawling with the damn things. Their truck was a good ways off, too far to make a run for it. 

“I have an idea,” Brian said. “Anyone here good at hot wiring cars?”

“That’d be me,” Daryl replied.

“Should have figured,” Brian said. “That Camry over there, we’re going to hot wire it, we’re going to see if there’s a CD in it and use it to distract the walkers.”

“That’s…actually that’s a really good idea,” Bob said.

“It wasn’t mine,” Brian admitted. “It was the other Dixon.”

Daryl’s vision was tainted red at the easy way Brian mentioned his brother, like he wasn’t the one who killed him because he went by a different fucking name and had a different group. He had to bottle it up though, bottle it up like all those nights his dad was in a vicious mood because right now he had to focus on getting them back home. “Let’s do it,” he said. He got shakily to his feet and grunted in irritation when Brian straight up swept him up into his arms bridal style. “I can fucking walk.”

“Not fast enough,” Brian replied. His voice was still as damn composed as ever and the bastard had the nerve to actually smirk a bit. “Here we go, princess.”

Daryl was going to murder him when this was over.

Despite carrying him, Brian moved quickly to the car and set him down once they reached it. The door wasn’t locked and Daryl got inside swiftly, yanking the wires down while Brian circled to the passenger’s side and started looking for a CD. The car engine revved and spluttered, died out, roared into life again just as Brian pulled a CD from the crack in the seat. He slipped it in and turned the volume up the whole way as Daryl shifted it to neutral, hit the gas pedal with his hand to give it a boost and sent it on its way.

“Shit, that does work,” Daryl muttered as the walkers started to the go for the car.

“Let’s move, people,” Brian ordered and the others came from the dumpster. Once they caught up he looked between Bob and Tyreese. “You got him?” he asked.  
Tyreese nodded and Brian took off after Mitch and Tara. Daryl slung his arm around Tyreese’s shoulders and Tyreese wrapped an arm around his waist and they hobbled back to their truck, Bob taking point, gun held at the ready. Once they reached the truck, Bob helped Tyreese get Daryl in before they jumped in the front and Tyreese pulled out of the parking lot in a hurry.

On the way back Daryl couldn’t help but think about what happened. He could have been pissed at Tara, but she panicked and he wasn’t. He was pissed at Brian, for mentioning Merle so flippantly, for treating him like some damsel in distress. Any other life, he’d be attracted to the guy. To his looks, his demanding aura, his natural ability as a leader…but this wasn’t the life he imagined and he could never forgive him for what he did.


	4. Things Fall Apart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything seems to be going fine. The idea of coexisting seems to be getting easier until it isn't. Until the unthinkable happens and all that's left is to wait for the other shoe to drop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is some mention of noncon in this chapter. It's not graphic or detailed but it's not exactly subtle, just a warning for any readers.

It was dark and he didn’t know where he was. Somewhere familiar, the stench of stale alcohol and cigars burnt his nose. He was shirtless, he could feel the chilled air against his skin and he was laying on his stomach on a firm mattress. He looked around but the only source of light was something in the corner on the far side of the space. A nightlight? A candle? No, it was hovering by the ceiling and he never saw anything like that before. He couldn’t move but for whatever reason he didn’t panic, his mind too focused on the surreal as that light burned light a dim flame. 

He only flinched when he felt a touch along one of the scars on his back. He closed his eyes and buried his face into his the musty mattress. A weight settled over him, someone was straddling him but of course he knew what was happening now. The familiar smell, the darkness that plagued this house…his house. His father was behind him, he was sure of it, inspecting the scars to see if he hit him hard enough, went deep enough or if he needed further punishment. Daryl’s breath hitched as those fingers continued to trace the line of scars. He started to tremble and the hand came to rest on his lower back in a manner he couldn’t equate to his father. His father was never gentle, his father just took what he wanted, did what he wanted and Daryl’s body ached as his mind recreated those horrible feelings. He felt sick, he felt violated all over again but damn it he would not show weakness, not anymore. Tears were just added satisfaction for that sick fuck.

But nothing happened. 

The hand that…tried to comfort him? Was that it? ran up the length of his back before tracing down his spine. The tension in his shoulders began to dissipate, his breath which had been coming in quick, silent pants leveled out and Daryl allowed himself to close his eyes as that hand caressed him. He hadn’t dreamed of Rick this way for months. It used to happen frequently enough when Rick first joined the group, a fool’s dream since it was pretty fucking clear that Rick loved Lori and wouldn’t look at him that way. The dreams dissipated when he got to know Rick better, when he accepted that Rick was always just going to be a friend and he was happy with that. So where did this come from all of a sudden?

Rick was shifting, silently urging Daryl to turn over so he did, hardly daring to allow a smile as Rick settled over his hips. Due to the lighting, he could only see his silhouette but something was wrong. Rick wasn’t that broad shouldered. His brow furrowed and suddenly it was his father again, he knew it was his father and he bit back a resigned groan. His father was looming over him, coming closer, possibly to claim a kiss though he’d never bothered with anything like that in the past. The light in the corner flashed and it wasn’t his father at all.

It was Brian who was inches from his face, that same satisfied smirk from the afternoon gracing his features. He closed the distance between them, their lips colliding…

And Daryl woke up.

“Holy shit,” he growled.

He was back in his room, his leg properly bandaged and elevated on some extra pillows. Daryl draped his arm over his eyes, trying to ignore the heat in his groin that the dream left him and deciding that no, he really didn’t want to analyze what the fuck that was all about. He heard footsteps and he propped himself up on his elbows, half expecting Brian to show up just to gloat, as if he would somehow know about the dream. It was Rick and Daryl was instantly relieved.

“You all right?” Rick asked.

“I’ll live.”

“Bob told me what happened. Tara wanted to come by and say sorry, I told her I’d let you know so there it is,” Rick said.

Daryl sighed and shook his head. “Fucking women, right?” he asked and Rick chuckled, coming further into the room. “I know she didn’t do it on purpose, Rick.”

His brow furrowed. “I didn’t assume she had and I’ll be sure to let everyone know that. I don’t want a war, Daryl.”

“Yeah I know.”

“Bob mentioned that the Governor helped you guys out of there.”

Daryl was grateful he wasn’t the type to blush. “Yeah, that’s right.”

“I’ll have to thank him. I’m glad you’re back safe, Daryl.”

“Ain’t getting rid of me that easy.”

Rick laughed again and clapped a hand on his uninjured leg. “Good. Best remember you said that.”

Daryl grinned. “Or what? You gonna drag my ass back to the living and remind me?”

Rick shrugged. “Yeah, didn’t you know I had that power?”

“Man of mystery, I’m gonna start calling you Merlin if you keep that shit up.”

“Better get me a staff or something if you do,” Rick said. “Get some rest, if you need anything I’ll be here.”

“Thanks, Rick.”

***  
Lilly thought she had been happy at the camp, was so worried that coming to the prison would expose Meghan to violence that her sweet girl wouldn’t be able to handle. She trusted Brian, but she was sure he would start a fight; sure he wouldn’t think them safe with this other group. So as time continued to pass without incident she allowed herself to relax. Meghan was taking to the place easily enough, hesitant at first because of what the place used to mean but adapting quickly. Her sweet girl, her strong girl…Lilly was so proud of her. 

Her fear was fleeting when Brian, Tara, and Mitch returned and Tara told her about shooting Daryl. Lilly waited for the other group to come running, armed and ready to spill blood…but nothing happened. Three days after they returned, Tara came running to her with a big smile to tell her that Rick had come by, not with a warning, not with a threat, but with thanks that no one was left behind and better yet, Tara continued, that Daryl would be fine. 

“Thank goodness for that,” Lilly replied. “Will you take care of Meghan for a bit? I’ve been sitting here just waiting on news that I need to go stretch my legs.”

“Yeah of course,” Tara replied. “Meghan are you ready for an epic game of backgammon?”

“You bet!” Meghan said, jumping off the low bed and digging under it for the expensive set Brian got for her. 

Lilly smiled as her daughter and sister got set up and headed out of the room. It was much more cheery in the cell block now they had time to settle. Mitch found a lot of paper and some pencils and the walls were covered with drawings, the cells were always open, makeshift curtains taking place of doors and she and some of the others had spent a lot of time cleaning, chasing away the dust of the past to make room for the living. 

Despite the comfort this place afforded, Lilly made sure she was armed when she walked. There was no telling if a Walker might find its way through somehow and she wasn’t going to be caught unaware. As she continued she considered looking for Brian. He’d been busy since making the run, organizing the supplies they brought back and discussing strategies with some of the other men in case more herds showed up. Lilly knew better than to interrupt him, Brian afforded her with most of his free time and she appreciated his care. That cold man that she feared was the real Brian when he discussed taking this place was gone, once again the gentle soul she met at the apartment.

As she wound about the dark corridors she grabbed her flashlight, making sure she stayed alert to any sounds that might indicate danger. She heard nothing for a time until the unmistakable sound of laughter reached her ears. Lilly frowned, confused, because she was sure the voice belonged to a child. It wasn’t Meghan, but another girl. The laughter continued as Lilly sought the girl but her heart froze when she heard a growl. 

She drew her gun and ran to the sounds. She all but kicked a door down that led into a washing room and saw her. A little girl, around the same age as Megan running around down there. Lilly watched in fascination and horror as she continued to laugh despite the Walker trying to catch her.

“Get away from it!” Lilly shouted, rushing forward with the gun trained on the Walker.

The girl noticed her and screamed, putting herself between Lilly and the Walker. “NO! NO! Go away! She’s not hurting anyone!” the girl pleaded.

Lilly’s eyes widened. Why was the girl defending a Walker?! It didn’t matter now, it couldn’t matter right now, Lilly had to save her. The Walker was closing in on her and she dashed forward, grabbing the girl’s wrist despite her protests and yanking her from the Walker’s grasping hands. She lined up the shot again when she felt a piercing pain in her calf. She shrieked and glanced behind her. The girl stabbed her! Her hand was covered in Lilly’s blood and her eyes were burning.

“I won’t let you hurt Cynthia!” she said. 

“You…what is wrong with you?!” Lilly demanded, grabbing the handle of the knife and with a cry pulling it from her leg. 

The girl looked like she was going to attack her again so, hating herself for doing so, Lilly shoved her hard and sent her reeling back to the floor. She turned to kill the Walker but it was already too late. Her vision filled with a rotting maw and she screamed as those teeth sank into her shoulder. She screamed as those hands dug into her stomach and fingers buried in her intestines. And she screamed as she fell to the floor and saw the girl’s memorized look. Not horror, not remorse, she was enthralled. Knowing that she couldn’t hope to be put out of her misery there, Lilly used the last of her strength to grip her gun tight and bring it to her temple. She sobbed, praying Meghan was strong enough, praying Brian would watch over her and then pulled the trigger.

***

“You can’t be over here!” 

Rick looked up when he heard Glenn’s voice, full of rage. He was chasing after the Governor who was striding down the hall with a bloody bundle in his arms. Rick held a hand up as Glenn drew his gun and the young man reluctantly put it away. The Governor didn’t say anything until he was closer to Rick and even then he let his actions speak for him. He drew back the folds of the sheet he held and Rick paled when he saw what was wrapped up. It was the woman, Lilly, or what was left of her. 

“What happened?” Rick demanded.

“The child happened,” the Governor replied, his voice rough as it had been when he demanded Rick and his group to leave the prison. Rick was going to have to handle this carefully if he wanted to avoid that war. He knew what child was being referred to and he wouldn’t risk this man’s wrath by playing stupid. He also wouldn’t put Lizzie in danger.

“How?” he asked. “Inside the prison?”

“Yes,” was the clipped reply. “Down in the washing room in our block. I don’t know what Lilly was doing down there, I only heard her screaming. The child ran when I appeared. I killed the Walker she brought in.”

Damn, so he did see Lizzie. Rick was going to have to have someone keep an eye on her, he knew how the Governor was quick to seek revenge. It was a horrible tragedy and he wished he had done more concerning Lizzie so this could have been avoided. He didn’t know Lilly, but she seemed a gentle person, not anyone who deserved this. 

“I’m sorry.”

“You’re sorry?” the Governor sneered. “One of your people let a Walker into my part of the prison and Lilly is dead because of it. She’s dead, Rick, because of one of you.”

“I know, I know,” Rick said. “But she’s a child, Gov…Brian, she’s just a child and she’s not well.”

“So you knew she was sick and yet you let her have free roam of the place. If you knew she was sympathetic to Walkers why didn’t you lock her up?” 

Because he was naïve and assumed Michonne had handled it with telling Lizzie not to feed the Walkers. He thought that Lizzie wasn’t so far gone. Rick noticed that Glenn had a hand on his gun, his shoulders tense in case the Governor tried anything. 

“Please, don’t do anything to the girl,” Rick said. “Just tell me what I can do.”

“You can’t do anything, Rick,” the Governor replied. “I loved her.”

“Like you loved Andrea?” Glenn spat.

The Governor didn’t even glance at him, didn’t acknowledge the accusation. He kept his eye on Rick. “You’re going to find out how she got the Walker in and you’re going to seal it. You’re going to keep her locked up and if I see her near my group I’m putting her down.”

“You won’t,” Rick growled. “I won’t let you murder her; she didn’t know what she was doing.”

The Governor began to turn, done with him. “Then you best hope to get a strong leash on her.”

***  
He shouldn’t have been moving around yet, but Daryl didn’t want to miss the council meeting, not after what happened with Lilly. He looked from Hershel to Sasha and finally to Glenn. Hershel and Sasha looked weighed down by the situation, Glenn looked like he was on edge. He sighed. “So, what the hell we gonna do?” he asked.

“It’s pretty clear that we have to keep Lizzie under supervision,” Sasha finally replied. “I don’t think the Governor was kidding about killing her if she finds herself over there again.”

“Has she said anything about it?” Hershel asked.

“Yeah, but nothing about feeling guilty about it,” Glenn said. “She was sad because she figured everyone was mad at her, didn’t mention Lilly at all.”

“That’s one fucked up kid,” Daryl said. “She’s a liability.”

“What are you saying?” Sasha demanded.

“Just the truth,” Daryl replied. 

“This is on me,” Hershel said. “I saw what she was when we confronted her about feeding the Walkers, I should have done something.”

Glenn frowned. “I don’t trust the Governor not to take action,” he said. “What’s to stop him from coming over here when we aren’t looking?”

“He’s still got Meghan,” Daryl pointed out. “I don’t think he would put her at risk.”

“We should still keep watch,” Sasha suggested.

They all agreed to set a watch on the other side of the prison as well as to find Lizzie and keep her in the cell block. Of course that was easier said than done, Lizzie was keeping to herself and even Micah wasn’t entirely sure where she was. The only place they hadn’t checked was the laundry room on the other side and Rick left strict instructions that no one was to go over there for the time being. 

***  
“Y-you’re hurting me, please!”

His grip only tightened until that little voice couldn’t produce speech anymore. He tried, ohh he tried to stay his temper, to turn away from justice this one time for the sake of his group. But he couldn’t. Days passed without Lilly, with Meghan withdrawing into herself again, with Tara trying to hide her tears and he was doing nothing. He wouldn’t follow Mitch’s suggestion of taking over the place, but he would avenge Lilly so she could rest in peace.

The child scrambled under him, clawing at his hands as he kept them wrapped around her throat. He warned Rick what would happen if they didn’t get a handle on her, three days was long enough to find her, but instead he found her lurking in the laundry room calling out for the Walker he told Rick he killed. He couldn’t stand the sight of her, treating the Walkers like they were pets, like they were her friends.

She was crying freely as he pressed his hands against her windpipe, her attacks weakening as the life was crushed out of her. When her hands finally fell lifelessly to her sides he turned her over, brushing the hair out of his way as he drew his knife. He wouldn’t give her the satisfaction of coming back. He carefully slid the knife into the back of her skull, penetrating the brain and using all his willpower not to completely decimate the body.

With that done he scooped up the corpse and moved her over to one of the washers. Knowing the Walkers had a taste for fresh blood, he rolled the sleeve of his shirt up and sliced his forearm, letting his blood flow over her corpse. Only when he wrapped up the wound and made himself presentable did he put in the final touch, the Walker she was playing with, the one Lilly lost her life to, he cut the ropes binding it and left the room, feeling a sense of satisfaction as he heard it ripping into the girl.


End file.
